Ephesians 6:16 - "Above All"

Today we are continuing to look at Ephesians 6:16. Thispowerful verse tells us to take up the shield of faith. Something that hasjumped out at me as we were talking yesterday and preparing for today is thevery first two words of this verse: “Above all.” This chapter is aboutputting on the armor of God. It is about being able to stand against the wilesof the devil and to quench the fiery darts that He throws at us daily, minuteby minute, hour by hour.  Howdo we quench those darts? How do we stand in faith? I want to remind youexactly what faith is. Faith is obedience in the Bible. Faith is seeing theinvisible. Faith is seeing God rather than the problems and difficulties thatare all around us. In 2 Corinthians 5:7 it says, “We walk by faith, not bysight.” This means we walk by faith not by our feelings. That is sopowerful.  Rememberthe verse we mentioned yesterday in Habakkuk 2:4: “The just shall live byhis faith.” It is repeated three times in the New Testament. The HolySpirit repeats this phrase four times because it is so important. Why? Because “aboveall”, if your faith is not what it should be, you are in trouble when itcomes to facing the temptations of the world and the fiery darts of the wickedone! Whatis faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells us: “Faith is the substance of things hopedfor, the evidence of things not seen.” The best way I have found to explainfaith, understand faith, and actually practice walking by faith, is to realizethat faith is substantiating. Faith substantiates. Faith is the substance ofthings hoped for. It is the confidence that the things we cannot see are justas real—actually more real—than the things we can see.  Infact, I believe we can say that faith is a spiritual sense. We have fivephysical senses: touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing. Those senses allow usto move safely through this world, enjoy God’s creation, to drive a vehicle an towalk without running into things. And live the physical life God has given us. Faithis the spiritual sense God has given to every human being. But it must beexercised. It must be used. Just as my hand has the ability to touch and makereal whatever it touches, faith makes real what I cannot feel. When I touch abook I say, “That is a book.” When I look at this phone recording this message,my eyes send the message to my brain: “That is real.” Faith makes real what Icannot see physically. Justas the senses substantiate the physical world, faith substantiates thespiritual world. That is why 2 Corinthians 4:18 says, “While we look not atthe things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the thingswhich are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”That is also why Hebrews chapter 11 explains that faith is “the substance ofthings hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Later the Hebrews11:27, it says of Moses: “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrathof the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible.” He saw God.  Thatis why Hebrews 12 begins, “Looking unto Jesus.” The book of Hebrews is the bookof faith. Because of unbelief, that generation of Israelites that came out of Egyptcould not enter the promised land. But by faith Moses continued to lead thepeople, and finally by faith they entered with Joshua.  Weare to live by faith, not by sight. My friend, that is the shield of faith—"aboveall”. Taking up the shield of faith above all. If you do not, Satan willovercome you. You will not be able to stand. You need the faith that comes fromGod and God alone, through His Word. Today, read the Word. Memorize the Word.Hide the Word in your heart. Remember, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearingby the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). No doubt that is why Paul says, “Aboveall”, the other pieces of armor, without this “shield of faith” we have noprotection against the “wiles” and “fiery darts” of the wicked one!